Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
An authentic 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print depicting fashionable figures visiting the year-end fair at Senso-ji temple in Asakusa. Signed 'Hiroshige ga' in the yellow cartouche with the carver mark 'Hori Take' (彫竹) and the publisher seal of Joshuya Jinzo ('Shiba-Jin').
Story
Winter in Edo meant flocking to Senso-ji's December market to buy New Year battledoors and charms. Hiroshige II captured stylish townspeople mingling on temple terraces just before Japan entered the modern Meiji era.
Maker / Origin
Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826–1869), born Suzuki Chinpei, was the primary pupil and adopted son-in-law of the legendary master Utagawa Hiroshige I. Upon his master's death in 1858, he assumed the artist name Hiroshige II and continued producing atmospheric landscape and genre prints with refined publisher collaborations.
Condition & Value
Good antique condition with strong pigment and sharp keyblock lines. Light edge toning, minor handling creases, and untrimmed margins evident; no major wormholes or extensive fading visible. Excellent color retention preserves value well.
Full Research
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.